The third installment of AKGKOR – a 6 part
TV series that neither Screen Australia will not read and assess because I am a
banned filmmaker.
Screen NSW will not read and assess ANGKOR
either because, after 43 years experience producing, directing and screenwriting, I am
not, in accordance with the organization’s guidelines, qualified to make an application
for script development!
...continued on from # 2 ANGKOR
52 INT. NICK’S APARTMENT. BATHROOM. NIGHT
NICK lies in a bath. PATRICE sits closeby reading a corrected print out of Nick’s work-in-progress article.
PATRICE (VOICE OVER)
...farmed prawn industry could not survive...
PATRICE pauses for a moment.
PATRICE
‘Like’? ‘Such as’? Such as Munny and Vibrol?
NICK nods, makes a tick in the air with his finger; holds his hand out, strokes PATRICE’S knee. As she continues to read she places one hand on top of NICK’S.
NICK
Yep, ‘such as’ flows better.
PATRICE
Without slaves such as Munny and Vibrol producing low cost fishmeal from the ‘trash fish’, Thailand's multibillion-dollar farmed prawn industry could not survive.
53 INT. NICK’S APARTMENT. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
NICK, wearing a sarong only sits in a swivel chair at his laptop, a glass of wine beside him. He inserts GUNTHER’s purple USB into his computer, sips his wine, opens a file.
54 INT. BATHROOM. NIGHT
PATRICE steps out of the bath, wraps a sarong around her wet body, contemplates her reflected face in a mirror. She drains the rest of a glass of wine, smiles to herself.
55 INT. NICK’S APARTMENT. NIGHT
NICK sips on his wine as he looks at footage onscreen. A FISH MERCHANT, in a fish market talks to GUNTHER’s iPad:
FISH MERCHANT (SUBTITLED)
If the fishermen are slaves...it’s not my problem. You must talk with the authorities.
Nick’s red mobile rings. He presses ‘pause’ on his laptop, looks at the screen on his mobile, decides not to take the call.
PATRICE appears in the doorway, her moist body wrapped in a sarong. She turns the music up computer, grabs the bottle of wine and comes to join NICK. Onscreen:
A FISHING BOAT CAPTAIN talks on a busy wharf.
FISHING BOAT CAPTAIN (SUBTITLED)
“If I stopped using slave labour, my fish would be more expensive than his...(HE GESTURES TO OTHER FISHING BOATS) or his...I must sell for the same price. Or less. This is just the way it is!
PATRICE presses pause on the laptop, spins NICK’S swivel chair around, sits astride him; a little tipsy.
PATRICE
Have you ever noticed how much better you look in the mirror after a couple of glasses of wine?
NICK
You always look gorgeous to me, no matter how many glasses of wine I’ve had.
She leans up against NICK. He Wraps his arm around her waist.
She kisses him on the nose, smiles. He kisses her on the nose, smiles. A game they play. They kiss passionately.
NICK’S mobile rings. PATRICE picks it up, answers it.
PATRICE
He’s not here. Are you, Nick?
She hangs up, switches the phone off.
PATRICE
I want your undivided attention.
She stands, removes her sarong, sits naked astride NICK, runs her hands over his shoulders, his chest.
PATRICE
I love your body.
NICK
Just my body?
PATRICE
Just your body. As for your mind...
She makes a ‘take it or leave it’ gesture.
NICK
It’s your mind I like. Your body... (HE SHRUGS) I can take it or leave it.
PATRICE (LAUGHS)
Yeah!?
She stands, undoes NICK’S sarong, sits astride him again, moves on him. They kiss, part, look into each other’s eyes.
PATRICE
I do love you, you know that, don’t you?.
NICK
Mmmm, but you’re not ‘in love’ with me?
PATRICE
Isn’t ‘love’ enough?
NICK
But you love cats too. And Margaritas, and...
PATRICE
Thing is, you put ‘in’ in front of ‘love’...’in love’ and...it’s what happens in Hollywood movies and...it’s transitory, whereas...
NICK
Transitory love.
PATRICE
I’ve done ‘transitory’., Been there, done that...
NICK
An expert in transitory love!
PATRICE
Olympic champion.
NICK
So this is not transitory?
PATRICE
I hope not.
NICK
Me too.
They kiss. PATRICE reaches down between her legs.
PATRICE
Mmm...what’s this thing I feel stirring?
NICK
Thing...
PATRICE
Thing.
She stands, takes NICK’S cock, guides it inside her, kisses him passionately, moves on him for a few moments.
PATRICE
Would you be excited if I told you you were soon going to be a dad? (A BEAT) Even if I am not your wife?
NICK (LAUGHS)
Am I?
PATRICE shakes her head.
PATRICE
Hypothetical question. If I forgot to take my Pill?
NICK
You are the only woman I have ever known that wants to carry on a conversation when she’s making love.
PATRICE
Is that what we’re making?
NICK
Unless you did forget to take your Pill. In which case we may be making a baby.
NICK puts his finger to his lips again.
PATRICE
I did forget...
NICK
How many times?
PATRICE
I can’t remember.
NICK
So this is kind of...Russian roulette!
PATRICE
Unless you’re shooting blanks!
NICK laughs.
PATRICE
In which case...
Her stops her mouth with a kiss.
56 EXT. GARDEN. NICK’S APARTMENT. DAY
PATRICE sips on her wine, waves her apology to KATIE, behind her camera.
PATRICE
Too much information. That was the wine talking. You’ll edit that bit out, I hope.
KATIE
You said ‘warts and all’.
PATRICE (SHRUGS)
I’m beyond caring what anyone thinks of me. Is Todd good in bed? Out of bed? Or wherever you make love? Or do you fuck?
KATIE turns the camera off, blushes with embarrassment.
PATRICE
Sorry.
PATRICE takes another sip of her wine, waves the topic away.
PATRICE
Anyhow, Nick had to go back to Thailand to do some more interviews and that’s when I saw Kek again.
57 EXT. STREET IN DOWNTOWN PHNOM PENH. NIGHT
PATRICE sits alone at a table surrounded by ‘girlie bars’, sipping a Margarita. Small digital camera in hand, her eyes dart around, taking in her surroundings, occasionally lifting her camera to take a quick photo.
In amongst the STREET KIDS, BEGGARS, VENDORS and TOURISTS in the crowded street, and unseen by PATRICE, young KEK does not stand out. She surveys a world new and alien to her with wide open frightened eyes. PATRICE does not notice her.
SANDY and IAN sit at an adjacent table, VANNY standing alongside, with her tray of books. IAN’S camera hangs at his side.
SANDY sips her white wine.
VANNY
Yesterday you say, ‘Tomorrow we buy book.’
SANDY
I said ‘maybe’.
VANNY (FROWNS)
Maybe, maybe...
VANNY
If you not buy book I cannot feed my granny.
PATRICE smiles,shakes her head, acknowledged SANDY and IAN. VANNY pokes her tongue out at PATRICE, who laughs.
FRANCOISE, late 20s, eccentrically dressed, sporting a mane of flame red hair, bounds up; arms outstretched.
FRANCOISE
Mon cherie, mon cherie. I am so sorry. My day eet is...
She wraps her arms around PATRICE, kisses her on each cheek.
FRANCOISE
...my job it ees shit! My boss e ees chatte...Ee like to fuck the petit girl...and ee want to fuck ze not-so-petit girl....moi...and I tell him...
FRANCOISE’S eyes focus on MIDDLE AGED MEN ogling the YOUNG WOMEN outside 'Hot Stuff' - the ‘girlie bar’ opposite.
FRANCOISE
Like these men, ee should be lock up!
FRANCOISE looks at TWO POT-BELLIED MEN, beer cans in their hands, appraising the bodies of teen girls.
FRANCOISE grabs Patrice’s camera, lifts it, shouts:
FRANCOISE
Hey, you two spunky gentlemen!
The TWO POT-BELLIED MEN turn as FRANCOISE (’click’) takes photos of their surprised faces.
FRANCOISE
You want ze blow job?”
Click! FRANCOISE purses her lips, blows in their direction. The two men stare at her in shock. In the background, KEK is visible - also looking towards PATRICE and FRANCOISE.
POT-BELLIED MAN # 1 makes his way towards FRANCOISE, his hand outstretched. FRANCOISE turns to PATRICE, smiles innocently.
POT BELLIED MAN # 1 (GERMAN ACCENT)
Hey, you!
POT-BELLIED MAN #1 is standing in front of FRANCOISE.
FRANCOISE
Moi?
POT BELLIED MAN # 1
You delete those photos, cunt.
FRANCOISE picks up the camera, opens one of the photos, looks at it, smiles; holds it up for PATRICE to see. PATRICE holds her hands up to let both FRANCOISE and POT-BELLIED MAN # 1 know that she is not buying into this pending confrontation!
POT-BELLIED MAN # 1
Fucking give it to me, cunt!
FRANCOISE shakes her finger at him.
FRANCOISE
You should not call me a cunt, pig.
POT-BELLIED MAN # 1
How about ‘Frog Cunt’?
He looks at POT-BELLIED MAN # 2, who laughs.
FRANCOISE stands, tiny compared to POT-BELLIED MAN # 1. PATRICE tries to stop her.
PATRICE
Frannie!
A small crowd has gathered, including SANDY, IAN and VANNY.
FRANCOISE gestures towards YOUNG BAR GIRLS looking on.
FRANCOISE
Zee frog cunt want to ask the German pig a question. You want to fuck zee little girl, why not you use your hand?
She makes a masturbation gesture with her hand. PATRICE shakes her head: (“Here we go again!”)
FRANCOISE turns her head, offers her cheek for him to hit.
FRANCOISE
Come on, big pig, show zee little girl you want to fuck how zee brave big German pig man with the tiny penis treat zee frog woman cunt.
The POT-BELLIED MAN # 1 raises his fist threateningly, moves towards her. FRANCOISE delivers a hard and fast kick-boxers kick to his groin. POT BELLIED # 1 man collapses to the ground in agony. The YOUNG BAR GIRLS, IAN, SANDY and VANNY respond excitedly and approvingly.
CLOSE on KEK, in the crowd - wide-eyed in wonder at what she has just witnessed.
FRANCOISE walks back to the table. SANDY and IAN walk up, as POT-BELLIED MAN # 1 struggles to his feet in the background.
PATRICE
That was fucking stupid, Frannie!
FRANCOISE
“Silence in zee face of zee evil is itself evil. Not to speak ees to speak.”
PATRICE
You didn't speak! You fucking kicked him in the balls.
FRANCOISE
“Not to act is to act.” It feels good to act.
PATRICE
Adrenalin junkie!
FRANCOISE
You have your Margarita, I have my adrenalin. And both are good for the libido, no?
IAN
Deitrich Boenhoffer, right? “Not to act...”(A BEAT) I studied him at university.
FRANCOISE (HAUGHTY)
I never go to zee university.
SANDY
Fuck! That was awesome!
FRANCOISE
‘Fuck’ ees not exclamation. It ees a verb. It ees something you do.
SANDY
Sorry.
FRANCOISE
Never say ‘sorry’, mon cherie. It make you look like a little girl. You like to fuck.
SANDY
Ummm...
FRANCOISE
And your boyfriend, ‘ee is good with ‘is tongue?
SANDY
Um...yes.
FRANCOISE
You are not sure?
SANDY
Um...
FRANCOISE
You want me to test ‘im? See ‘ow good ‘ee is? I joking, mon cherie. (A BEAT) You are drinking the white wine, no? (SANDY NODS) You must drink the red.
SANDY
Why?
FRANCOISE
Because the red wine eet ‘as the ‘igh level of polyphenols, which ees antioxidant to make blood vessels expand. Eet increase blood flow so your vagin become more wet, you understand.
SANDY
Vagin!?
FRANCOISE
Vagina. Cunt. But Just one glass, comprenez vous. More and your libido...
She makes of ‘down’ gesture, picks up Patrice’s camera, looks at the photo of the pot-bellied men looking at her in shock.
FRANCOISE
Deux grenouille. I think ‘ees libido go down for a few days.
PATRICE smiles, leans close, looks at the photo.
PATRICE
Wait!
She takes the camera from FRANCOISE, looks closely at the photo, zooms in on a closer shot of Kek; tries to remember where she has seen Kek before. The penny drops:
PATRICE
Fuck!
She leaps up, runs across the road to where Kek was standing, looks around. She is not there.
As PATRICE runs down the road, looking for Kek, she passes IAN and SANDY - buying a book from VANNY. She looks around for Kek. There is no sign of her.
PATRICE
Fuck.
PATRICE turns and walks fast back towards where FRANCOISE is sitting. She ignores SANDY, IAN and VANNY as she passes them, taking out her phone to make a call.
PATRICE steps aside to miss being hit by a motor bike heading straight at her. Both the DRIVER and PASSENGER wear full face black helmets that conceal their faces. She does not notice, as her call is answered, the motor bike PASSENGER, behind her, grab IAN’S camera strap and wrench the camera from him.
PATRICE (ON PHONE)
I’ve found the girl.
Before his camera strap breaks, IAN is jerked sideways, falls to the ground - the motor bike speeding off up the street, the PASSENGER with IAN’s camera in hand.
A LITTLE LATER
PATRICE and FRANCOISE, sitting at their table in the street, are looking at the ‘blown up’ photo of Kek.
PATRICE
It’s her.
FRANCOISE
Who?
PATRICE
She’s the missing link in an investigation Nick’s been doing into...I can’t tell you.
FRANCOISE
Why you cannot?
PATRICE
Because Nick would kill me.
FRANCOISE
Not is he never found out.
PATRICE shakes her head, laughs.
PATRICE
Do you have any scruples?
FRANCOISE
I had one once but it was not to my liking.(SHE SMILES) Tell me, mon cherie.
PATRICE
You would want to kill someone.
FRANCOISE
Would that be a bad thing.
PATRICE
No.
FRANCOISE
You think I could kill someone?
PATRICE
This particular someone, yes.
FRANCOISE plays the coquette.
FRANCOISE
No, I am build for love, mon cherie.
She leans forward, kisses PATRICE full on the lips. PATRICE wags her finger: “No”.
FRANCOISE
What does Nick have that I don’t?
PATRICE raises her eyebrows, shakes her head, smiles.
FRANCOISE
OK, but I have my tongue. Much better than zee penis.
She darts it in and out of her mouth suggestively.
PATRICE
Yes, and your tongues going to get you into serious trouble if you don’t watch out.
FRANCOISE
I like zee trouble.
PATRICE shakes her head.
58 EXT. NICK’S APARTMENT. NIGHT
PATRICE inserts a key into the front door of Nick’s apartment. Loud music can be heard playing inside.
59 INT. NICK’S APARTMENT. NIGHT
PATRICE walks into Nick’s apartment. NICK is sitting at his computer on the other side of the main room, his back to her. With a wicked grin she walks up behind him, to surprise him.
NICK catches a reflection of PATRICE in his computer screen, jumps up and spins around in momentary fright. He relaxes the moment he realizes that it is only Patrice.
PATRICE
Hey.
She wraps her arms around him. NICK smiles; kisses her nose.
PATRICE
You OK?
NICK nods, breaks eye contact, turns back to his computer, closes a folder alongside it. PATRICE notices.
PATRICE
And...?
NICK holds his thumb up.
PATRICE
That’s it!?
She mimics his thumbs up gesture.
NICK
I’m exhausted.
PATRICE wants to call him on his evasion, decides against it.
A LITTLE LATER
CLOSE ON computer screen:
Two shots of Kek - one standing beside the white car outside Wing Chou’s mansion, the other in the background of the shot with the two pot-bellied men.
NICK
It’s her, for sure. Serendipity.
PATRICE
Serendipity. (A BEAT) Shouldn’t be too hard to find her.
NICK (DISTRACTED)
No.
PATRICE
You sure you’re OK?
NICK nods, averts her gaze.
60 EXT. TROPICAL GARDEN. DAY
PATRICE sips on her wine as KATIE films.
PATRICE
A few hours later Nick got the call... the call that changed everything.
KATIE
From?
PATRICE shakes her head.
PATRICE
I never knew.
61 INT. NICK’S BEDROOM. NIGHT
PATRICE lies asleep in a double bed. Nick is not there.
PATRICE (VOICE OVER)
Not for a long long time.
She sits up, sees NICK in the garden outside talking animatedly on his mobile. She glances at a framed photo resting on a dresser beside the bed, the glass cracked.
Stair, aged 16 and Nick, aged 13, tennis rackets in one hand and the other wrapped around their brother’s shoulder, smiling for the camera.
NICK hangs up, plays nervously with his phone; looks worried.
PATRICE swings her legs out of bed, wraps a sarong around her body, walks out of the room.
62 EXT. GARDEN. NICK’S APARTMENT. NIGHT
PATRICE walks up behind NICK, stops to look at him for a moment. His left hand plays nervously with his mobile.
PATRICE
Hey.
NICK turns, smiles; tries to hide his worry.
PATRICE
What? I know you don’t want me to worry, but...I promise not to worry. You can tell me.
NICK
There is nothing to worry about.
PATRICE
Liar.
NICK smiles, wraps his arms around PATRICE, holds her tight. His face, unseen by PATRICE, reveals his fear.
63 EXT. FRONT OF NICK’S APARTMENT. PRE-DAWN
NICK stands by his yellow 4WD. PATRICE stands in front of him. They move towards each other and hug.
PATRICE’S brow is creased with worry.
NICK
Watch out the wind doesn’t change.
PATRICE tries to smile, hugs him tightly. NICK pulls away, gets into the 4WD.
PATRICE watches as the yellow 4WD disappears up the road.
64 EXT. TROPICAL GARDEN. DAY
PATRICE addresses KATIE’S camera.
PATRICE
I wanted to tell him how much I loved him...that I was ‘in love’ with him, but...I didn’t. You think, ‘Mañana! I don’t need to say it today. Tomorrow will do and...tommorrow comes and...
KATIE
Tomorrow comes and?
PATRICE
Your whole world is turned upside down. A cliche, but..(A BEAT) but...He called me. From his...his...he called it ‘The Yellow Peril’...He was playing the same piece of music I was playing when I met him.
...to be continued...
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